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josephvanburen's reviews
204 reviews
Embrace the Hideous Immaculate by Chad Hensley
4.0
This is a solid collection of intense imagery and nightmarish glimpses into other dark dimensions that parallel our own world. Each poem is its own slice of morbid monstrosity, but together it is a relentless collection of strange scenes with the occasional social-political commentary thrown in as well. The controlled chaos in the beautiful writing is a testament to Hensley's creative professionalism. If you enjoy well-written horror poetry, definitely put this book on your "to read" list.
Unnerving Magazine Issue #1 by John F.D. Taff, Eddie Generous, Joshua Chaplinsky, J.D. Horn, J.L. Knight, Stephen S. Power, Anke Kriske, J.J. Roth, Alana I. Capria, Sean Patrick Hazlett, Epiphany Ferrell
4.0
Indie horror mag done right
This is a nice collection of stories from authors mostly new to me. All of the stories were good, dark and creepy stuff, and some of them were great! I now have new authors to follow :) Unnerving has done an awesome job with their first issue, and I look forward to checking out the next one.
This is a nice collection of stories from authors mostly new to me. All of the stories were good, dark and creepy stuff, and some of them were great! I now have new authors to follow :) Unnerving has done an awesome job with their first issue, and I look forward to checking out the next one.
Horror 201: The Silver Scream Vol.2 by John Carpenter
4.0
If you like horror movies and/or a behind-the-scenes look into creative endeavors, this is a must-read. A wide range of interviewees, from Hollywood legends to successful indies to people you might not yet know by name, give advice and tell stories from every angle of the horror film business. Sometimes funny, sometimes frustrating, and all-around interesting for fans and filmmakers alike.
F(r)iction #7, Spring 2017: The Luck Issue by Dani Hedlund
5.0
Everything about F(r)iction #7 is amazing. The variety of stories, art, poetry, and comics; the quality of both the content and the physical book itself; the creative design; the mission statement from Tethered by Letters; the letter from the editor; even the table of contents - it all oozes with awesomeness and says, "we wanted to do something different and something of high quality." And I say, "mission accomplished on both accounts."
Writers On Writing: An Author's Guide Vol. 1 by Joe Mynhardt, Tim Waggoner, Jack Ketchum, Kevin Lucia, Dave-Brendon de Burgh, Todd Keisling, Monique Snyman, Jasper Bark, Brian Hodge, Mercedes M. Yardley
5.0
Honest, insightful, and inspirational
One of the best books about writing I have ever read. Relevant and refreshing takes on various aspects of being a successful writer from actual successful writers. The content is practical, realistic, and motivating. Though the articles are written mostly by horror authors, most of the material could be applied to any genre. If you are serious about your writing, read this book.
One of the best books about writing I have ever read. Relevant and refreshing takes on various aspects of being a successful writer from actual successful writers. The content is practical, realistic, and motivating. Though the articles are written mostly by horror authors, most of the material could be applied to any genre. If you are serious about your writing, read this book.
The Rising by Brian Keene
4.0
I am obviously way late to this party, having just read this book first published in 2003. So, how does this story hold up today? Pretty damn well. Reading The Rising is like watching a thrill-ride indie zombie flick or one of those crazy, low-budget Syfy Channel movies. It's pure entertainment, and it delivers. Other than the total cliffhanger ending, because this was the first in a series of what will soon be five books. The characters are not super developed, the dialogue is not always realistic, the prose is not exactly poetic. But it isn't supposed to be. Keene has said he considers himself a pulp writer. The Rising is a solid story of gross-out moments, cool death scenes, and ass-kicking survival.